


Deep Conversations in the Laundry Room

by Gloomling



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Crushes, Developing Friendships, Domestic Fluff, Early Mornings, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Laundry, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomling/pseuds/Gloomling
Summary: There were only two explanations for the sudden disappearance of both his jumpsuit and his laundry basket. The first being that someone had stolen his clothes and thrown them overboard. The second being that Mahiru was doing laundry, and after thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that he'd rather have to borrow clothes from someone else, than wrestle his clothes from the most aggressive mom friend he's ever met.
Relationships: Koizumi Mahiru/Soda Kazuichi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	Deep Conversations in the Laundry Room

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on Ao3. It was really hard figuring out how Ao3 works, so I hope you like it.

"Where the fuck is my jumpsuit?!"

The words are nothing more than an angry mutter as Kazuichi tears every drawer in his dresser open.

It's early morning and Kazuichi had just woken up. Sunlight wasn't even streaming in through his window yet, but that was normal for him. He always liked being up before the sun and before everyone else, which usually meant he was the one to prepare the coffee for everyone. Though he was banned from using the oven without supervision after he nearly set the entire ship on fire while cooking eggs. He didn't think it was fair, seeing as nobody had offered to teach him to cook.

But that was beside the point, as now, he couldn't find his jumpsuit and he had already been searching for twenty minutes. He rubbed his face with both hands, sighing heavily, before standing and going into the bathroom. Push comes to shove, he'd just have to make coffee in his sleepwear.

He stepped into the tiny bathroom, which only had a sink and toilet. Showers were in the main bathrooms that everyone on the ship had to use. Which was another reason Kazuichi liked being up early. He learned his lesson of not to wait when he had to take a shower after Teru. He would never make that mistake again.

Because the bathroom was so small, it was easy to notice the fact that his laundry basket was missing from it's usual spot next to the sink.

There were only two explanations for the sudden disappearance of both his jumpsuit and his laundry basket. The first being that someone had stolen his clothes and thrown them overboard (which actually happened to Nagito before when he pissed off Hiyoko. Hajime had to lend the boy his clothes since he was the only one close to his size, much to Hajime's chagrin). The second being that Mahiru was doing laundry, and after thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that he'd rather have to borrow clothes from someone else, than wrestle his clothes from the most aggressive mom friend he's ever met. Alas, the most likely of the two was the latter. Turning on his heel, he headed out of his bathroom and down the hall towards the laundry room.

It had been two weeks since Class 77-B had been released from the killing game and boarded this ship. Long enough to almost get used to the slight sway caused by the ocean or the utter silence of the morning and evenings. He was fine with the silence though, it beat hearing tropical island ambiance every single day. He sometimes wakes up expecting to hear the waves slapping onto the sand at the beach, tropical birds chirping all around his cottage, or the cicadas in the trees at night. Heck, sometimes he even expects to wake up to the morning announcement at seven in the morning. (Though he realized recently that he had, in fact, been waking up at seven each morning. After this realization, he purposefully started waking up a whole two hours earlier, convincing himself that it's because he needed to go to bed earlier even though he already has trouble sleeping in the first place.) But now, he heard the faint sound of someone shuffling around inside the laundry room. Huffing slightly, he resigns himself to his fate and slowly opens the door.

Mahiru stood in front of the washing machine. This was Kazuichi's first time seeing her in an outfit that wasn't her usual skirt and dress shirt. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt with palm leaf designs littered along the back and, he assumed, the front. She didn't seem to notice Kazuichi's presence, too focused on sorting the clothes into the washer.

He perked up when he saw a flash of blue at the bottom of the basket. He took a few experimental steps towards the photographer, before walking up behind her and grabbing the jumpsuit and retreating. Or at least, that was the plan.

While retreating, he felt an iron grip on his wrist that made him wince slightly. He turned slowly to see Mahiru glowering at him. It was an expression he was used to, as he was usually the one to cause trouble around the ship, whether it be accidentally or on purpose. Back before the Remnants of Despair formed, Kazuichi always thought the expression was slightly amusing, even cute on her. But now, after seeing that same expression on the monster that helped kill millions, all it did was remind him of a broken world and a deep seeded despair.

He struggled in her grasp a bit, "L-let me go!"

"I swear, you are going to be the death of me, Kazuichi Soda." The way he said his full name always made his stomach flip, a feeling he's not sure whether to love or hate, "Give me that jumpsuit, or so help me, you will not be eating dinner tonight."

Rolling his eyes, Kazuichi wrestled his wrist from her hand, "What are you, my mom?" He grunted, "And anyways, this jumpsuit is the only real outfit I have, so if I don't want to be wandering around in my pajamas all day, I need it!"

"Well, you should have thought of that while packing all the way back at the island!" Mahiru grips the sleeve of the jumpsuit, pulling it towards her.

"Geez, lady." Kazuichi pulled it back towards him, "It's not like it needs to be washed that badly!"

Mahiru just gripped harder, "Are you kidding me? It smells like you've run it through Teru Teru's sock drawer and then dunked it in a toilet!"

"Well, I've been washing it in the sink!" He exclaims, "So maybe that's why!"

Mahiru inhaled deeply, "Why the hell are you washing your clothes in the sink?!"

Kazuichi cringed, she never swore unless she deemed it absolutely necessary (something about setting a good example for Hiyoko), so when she did, you knew you were in trouble, "It's faster?" His reply was more of a question than an answer, but it still made Mahiru glare harder at him. He noticeably gulped, sweating a bit.

The girl in front of him closed his eyes, muttering to herself. He didn't catch all of it, but a few words stuck out, "...stupid boy… always unhelpful… like my useless father…"

Kazuichi's eyebrows knit together at her words, his grip on his jumpsuit loosening slightly. Mahiru took the opportunity and ripped the clothing out of his hands with a triumphant huff. He watched as she dropped it in the washer, threw in soap, and started the machine. When she turned back to him, she had a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Yeah… you realize I can just open the washing machine and take it out, right?" Saying this, he reached past her, to open the door. He felt her knees hit his stomach hard at she hopped on top of the washing machine, pushing him back with her legs.

He wheezed, placing his hands on the machine and doubling over in pain. He stayed like that for a bit before lifting his head to see Mahiru staring at him, face red. It wasn't until that moment that he realized how close the two were. Jumping back, he put up his hands in mock surrender, "Okay, I yield. But I'm not leaving this room without my jumpsuit."

"Geez, you're so annoying." Mahiru replied, though her flushed cheeks told him otherwise. She leaned back against the wall and watched as Kazuichi sat on the ground in front of the door.

The two sat in silence for a while and Kazuichi took that time to let his mind wander. He and Mahiru didn't speak to each other much during the killing game, only really exchanging small greetings. Sometimes Mahiru would scold Kazuichi for something or other. He never really took note of their interactions unless someone else was there with them. And after Mahiru became friends with Hiyoko, they spoke even less. Then… Mahiru's murder.

Kazuichi remembers it, clear as day. Her lifeless body, bleeding, cold… dead. He shook his head, looking up at Mahiru from his spot on the floor, almost as if to confirm that, yes, she was very much alive.

Sometimes he wonders if he's going crazy. Nobody talks about the killing game anymore. Nobody mentions Ibuki's night terrors, or how Teru flinches whenever Nagito goes near him, or how unnecessarily clingy Akane is to Nekomaru. There are some nights where Kazuichi can't get the thought out of his head that he made it all up.

Then he sees Hajime's red eye and Nagito's prosthetic hand, and he's reminded that it was all real. All his friends died, and then came back to life.

He frowned at his own thoughts, clearing his brain. Mahiru had shifted her sitting position and now had her legs folded neatly under her. His eyes trailed down to look at her shirt. It was one of Imposter's large shirts that he had given her when she forgot her sleepwear on the island. It was long enough to reach her knees, which Kazuichi thought was quite cute, though, he'd never say that out loud. He opened his mouth, though he's not sure what he wanted to say, all he knew, was that he didn't like the quiet anymore.

"Are you wearing pants underneath that shirt?"

He cursed himself internally, cheeks turning red. What a stupid way to start a conversation.

Mahiru narrowed her eyes, "No, Kazuichi, I decided today that I'm just going to go do laundry in my undergarments."

"Wait, really?" Kazuichi's eyebrows shot up. A second passed between them before he realized she was being sarcastic. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

Another moment of silence passed between them. Kazuichi had a question on the tip of his tongue. Thinking it was one thing, but actually asking was a whole nother ball game, especially with someone like Mahiru.

He bit his lip, opening and closing his mouth before blurting out, "Why did you call your father useless?"

Mahiru blinked, "What?"

"Earlier," He continued, "You said that boys were unhelpful like your "useless father"."

A few moments passed and Kazuichi began to think he messed up when she huffed, "It's nothing really, my dad just never did anything around the house. My mom was always gone, so I had to do all the chores around the house. All he did was sit around and watch tv. I can count the number of full conversations we've had on both hands."

"Yeah, I get that." Kazuichi nodded, "My father was… not the best." He waved his hand in a vague manner, "I skipped school a lot as a kid. Never really felt I fit in, and my family was pretty poor anyways, so it wasn't like I could go on any of the school trips. My old man found out and beat me black and blue."

Mahiru eyes went wide, "You don't mean literally, do you?"

Kazuichi hesitated, "Yeah, I do. But it's all in the past, I'm over it."

That was only half true. He winces when people touch him without warning, and is too much of a coward to follow through with the numerous fights he's threatened on some of his peers (mostly Gundham). He also has nightmares about it, but they probably aren't as bad as Ibuki's or Mikan's.

Mahiru had a pointed look on her face. He could tell she wanted to say more, but didn't comment any further, "As much as I rag on my father, I'd give anything to be back with my family right now."

"Yeah," Kazuichi snorted, "I'd love to see my ma' again." The corners of his mouth twitch downwards, "I wonder if that's possible."

Mahiru sighed, leaning back once again. She stays silent for a bit before saying, "I wish I had my camera on me." Gesturing to nothing, she continued, "The atmosphere in here is familiarly homely."

"Mm." Kazuichi responds, "I'd love to have something to fiddle with." Smirking, he adds, "It's your fault I'm bored. You kept me here."

Mahiru opens her mouth to respond, but is interrupted by the washer going off. She jumps down and starts pulling out the clothes.

Kazuichi stands up from his spot against the door and walks towards Mahiru, helping her put the rest of the clothes in the basket. She shut the washer, turned towards the door, and marched off. He watched her go, torn between going to take a shower before everyone wakes up, and following her to get his jumpsuit back.

"Kazuichi Soda, make yourself useful and help me hang these up to dry!"

Kazuichi feels his stomach flip flop again and he smiles. Maybe it isn't so bad after all.


End file.
